Planetary gears are often used in differentials for transmitting drive torques in vehicles. The planetary gear may be used in various specific embodiments, for example in distribution differentials or in axle differentials.
These types of planetary gears usually have at least one sun wheel, and multiple planet wheels which mesh with the sun wheel and which are rotatably supported in a planet carrier via pins. The planet carrier may likewise in turn be coupled to a gearwheel in a rotationally fixed manner. In known designs, differentials have two coupled planetary gear sets, whereby, for example, a drive torque is introduced via a sum shaft and distributed over two differential shafts, each differential shaft being coupled to a sun wheel of one of the planetary gear sets. These types of differentials based on planetary gears are characterized in particular by a compact design.
The publication DE 10 2007 040 475 A1, which likely constitutes the most proximate prior art, relates to a spur gear differential, in particular for motor vehicles, having a drive element which is connected to a planet carrier in a rotationally fixed manner, at least one pair of intermeshing planet wheels being rotatably mounted in the planet carrier, and each of the planet wheels meshing with one toothed driven gear. In the figures, the driven gears are practically mirror-symmetrical with respect to one another relative to a radial plane.